Three-Quarter Shimmy
The ‘Three-Quarter Shimmy’ is one of the most difficult moves in the Shimmy program so it is essential that you practice it very slowly the first few times. Begin standing with your feet about shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent and your feet parallel. Now simply come up onto the ball of your right foot, letting the knee bend but keeping it in line with the foot (not moving it out to the side). At the same time, contract your lower abdominal muscles, tucking your pelvis under you. Try to keep your left knee slightly bent. Now, let your right heel return to the floor and relax all your muscles. Next flex your right glute – hard this time, putting the weight on your right foot, and use those lower abdominals to push your right hip out. Relax the right glute and return to centre. Practice a few more times on that side, then when you are comfortable, repeat on the other side.
Next try to put the sides together – this means removing the final return to centre. Raise right heel tucking pelvis under; lower right heel relaxing pelvis; flex right glute hard and push right hip out; immediately raise left heel tucking pelvis under which will force the right hip to return to centre; lower left heel and relax pelvis, flex left glute and push left hip out; immediately raise right heel tucking pelvis under which will force left hip to come back to centre…. repeat until smoke starts to emerge from under your hip scarf!